Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Faculty Member

Stephanie Gower PhD, MSc

Research Interests

Healthy public policy development and analysis

Climate change health risks and adaptation

Heat vulnerability

Built environment and health

Active Transportation

Health impacts of air pollutants

Air quality management

Environmental health risk assessment

Education & Training History

Ph.D. Applied Health Sciences (Focus on Environmental Health Risk Assessment), University of Waterloo. (2002-2007).

M.Sc. Applied Health Sciences (Focus on Probabilistic Exoposure Modelling), University of Waterloo (1999-2002)

B.Sc. (Honours) Chemistry, Queen’s University (1994-1998)

Other Affiliations

Research Consultant, Healthy Public Policy Directorate, Toronto Public Health

Primary Teaching Responsibilities

2009, 2010, 2012 Environmental Epidemiology, Course Co-Instructor for CHL5416H

Professional Summary & Appointments

Stephanie works at Toronto Public Health in the Healthy Public Policy Directorate as a policy and research specialist. She is particularly interested in addressing health impacts related to air quality, climate change, and features of the built environment. Past work at Toronto Public Health includes updating Toronto’s Idling control bylaw, characterizing impacts of air pollution in South Riverdale and the Beaches, and examining racialization and exposure to industrial air pollution. Recently, Stephanie has been involved in evaluating Toronto’s Hot Weather Response Plan, developing vulnerability heat indices for Toronto, and collaborating with the U.S.-based National Centre for Atmospheric Research on a NASA-funded project to integrate information about climate predictions, urban form, heat vulnerability and health outcomes.

Stephanie also holds a status appointment teaching at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health and has authored numerous publications in the grey and peer reviewed literature.

Representative Publications

Briggs S., Gower S., Rinner C., Campbell M. (2013) Identifying Inequitable Exposure to Toxic Air Pollution in racialized and Low-Income neighbourhoods to Support Pollution Prevention. Geospatial Health, 7(2). 265-278.

Gower S, Yusa, A Rogaeva, A Mee, C, Pacheco E. Best practises to reduce health risks from extreme heat: Collaborative evaluation of the Toronto Heat Alert and Response System (HARS). CPHA June 19-22, 2011. Montreal. (Poster)

Rinner, C., Patychuk, D., Nasr, S., Bassil, K., Gower, S., Campbell, M. (2010) The Role of Maps in Neighbourhood-Level Heat Vulnerability Assessment. Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 37(1), 31- 44.

Craig, L., Brook, J., Chiotti, Q., Croes, B., Gower, S., Hedley, A., Krewski, D., Krupnick, A., Krzyzanowski, M., Moran, M., Pennell, W., Samet, J., Schneider, J., Shortreed, J., Williams, M. (2008) Air Pollution and Public Health: A Guidance Document for Risk Managers. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A, 71(9&10), 588-698.

Gower, S.K., Hicks, J., Shortreed, J., Craig, L., McColl, S. (2008) Development of a Health-Effects-based Priority Ranking System for Air Emissions Reductions from Oil Refineries in Canada. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 71(1), 81-85.

Gower, S.K., Hammond, D. (2007) CSP deposition to the regional lung: Implications of cigarette design. Risk Analysis, 27(6), 1519-1533.

Gower, S.K. and McColl, S. (2005) Development of the PEARLS Model (Particulate Exposure from Ambient to Regional Lung by Subgroup) and Use of Monte Carlo Simulation to Predict Internal Exposure to PM2.5 in Toronto. Risk Analysis, 25(2), 310-315